While still behind schedule, West Vancouver's new $36 million public safety building is moving ahead - just not as quickly as the mayor would like.
Council unanimously supported soliciting public input on the project but remained split on the design, which accommodates police and municipal hall on one site.
West Vancouver's outdated and almost embarrassing "rabbit warren of offices" is in dire need of replacement, according to Smith. "It's ridiculous that we've got communications staff working in an ex-living room down the road."
The municipal hall also falls short of seismic building standards.
"It would fall down with a relatively mild earthquake," Smith said. "(Previous councils) have been negligent in not maintaining this building."
West Vancouver's hall lags behind every other city hall in Metro Vancouver, according to Smith. "You just have to drive down to North Vancouver and see their Taj Mahals and Surrey with their $50-million edifice to Dianne Watts and the council there," he said. "This should be fast-tracked.. .. The time for talk is over and the time for action is now."
West Vancouver's Police Department needs to vacate its quarters on Marine Drive by the drop-dead date of Dec. 31, 2017 to make way for Grosvenor development group. After initially planning to start construction in early 2014, staff is hopeful to have shovels in the ground in June. While council supported the project in principle, Coun. Nora Gambioli made it clear she couldn't vote for what she characterized as a sprawling design. "We're effectively looking at wiping out the rest of the block with these two buildings," she said.
Coun. Craig Cameron suggested staff explore a taller building with a smaller footprint to avoid sprawl. He also advocated a construction plan that would accommodate an additional storey if needed.
Council split on the current plan to provide free parking for police, which Gambioli said "flies in the face" of West Vancouver's transportation and climate action plans.
"At about $40,000 per parking spot that is $2.2 million that taxpayers are being asked to spend to enable our staff in this building to park for free."
Providing parking for police is essential, argued Smith. "Our police drive from Squamish and Langley, Cloverdale and Maple Ridge because they can't afford to live in the community."
Failing to provide parking spots for police will jam surrounding streets with cars, warned Coun. Bill Soprovich, who said providing underground parking was common sense.
West Vancouver police chief Len Goerke stressed the need to provide secure parking for police cars in order to protect personal data and police property.
Goerke faced questions from Coun. Christine Cassidy about the centre's 1,600-square-foot gym, which would be shared with municipal staff. "I'm all for physical fitness, but in a sense we're asking the taxpayers to subsidize a gym for the use of police force and municipal staff."
A gym is important for injury-prevention and ensuring police officers are fit enough to deal with physically demanding situations, Goerke countered. "I would argue that the taxpayer actually saves money," he said.
While council was divided on the public safety building, Goerke praised the project. "It sets us up really well for several decades."
The public safety building headed back to the drawing board in the summer of 2014 after an audit scored the building's design efficiency as low.
This article has been amended since first posted to reflect that the new design does not include the municipal fire hall.
